Wall Street Journal Blasts Romney on Health Care

[ClydeR]

Politico summarizes the Wall Street Journal editorial.


The Wall Street Journal's editorial board is painting Mitt Romney as a “compromised and not credible” candidate for president, a harsh blow from the conservative mainstay just hours before Romney delivers a major health care speech.

“The health reform Mr. Romney passed in 2006 as Massachusetts Governor was the prototype for President Obama's version and gave national health care a huge political boost,” the paper says in an editorial this morning. “Mr. Romney now claims ObamaCare should be repealed, but his failure to explain his own role or admit any errors suggests serious flaws both in his candidacy and as a potential President.”

Romney is set to address deep-seated conservative skepticism toward the state health care law he enacted during his speech in Michigan today, while also outlining his plans to repeal the federal law. His White House hopes could hinge on a satisfactory tight-rope walk on the issue.

More... (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54821.html)

In its last paragraph, the Wall Street Journal says Romney should assassinate Joe Biden and then try to get Obama to name Romney as his VP candidate. That's sort of a shocking thing to read in the Wall Street Journal. The title of the editorial is "Obama's Running Mate."


More immediately for his Republican candidacy, the debate over ObamaCare and the larger entitlement state may be the central question of the 2012 election. On that question, Mr. Romney is compromised and not credible. If he does not change his message, he might as well try to knock off Joe Biden and get on the Obama ticket.

More... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703864204576317413439329644.html?m od=WSJ_hps_sections_opinion)

[NocturnalRob]

That's sort of a shocking thing to read in the Wall Street Journal.
The title of the editorial is "Obama's Running Mate."
It's an editorial. Shush.

[crb]

I hate politicians who refuse to admit mistakes, this seems to be true of all examples of the species.

What Romney needs to say is this:

"Hello, I'm Mitt Romney, I am not a partisan, or driven by particular ideologies. I'm willing to try ideas from all parts of the spectrum. When I was governor of Massachusetts I tried an idea from the left, universal health care. I was willing to give it a try, but it was a mistake, it didn't work. It went extremely over budget, did not increase access to care by anything near our goal, and did not increase care quality either. We tried it, it didn't work, and it created a mess. The country does not need to repeat the mistakes of Massachusetts."

But... I don't know... pride prevents him from saying that.

[TheEschaton]

Massachusetts ha 98% of its children covered by health care, and is still overwhelmingly popular in the state. What's your basis for that made up statement you'd write for Mitt Romney?

[~Rocktar~]

Health care for children does not equal successful socialized medicine. Many states have child health care coverage, not just Taxatwoshits and they aren't nearly in the financial mess. In addition, if you put the two together, the economic sink hole and socialized medicine which is the primary contributer, then people aren't nearly as ecstatic as you claim.

[Cephalopod]

Source for MA health-care law being a failure? Just, 'cause... you know. I live here, and it works for me.

[Parkbandit]

Source for MA health-care law being a failure? Just, 'cause... you know. I live here, and it works for me.

Besides being way over budget and contributing to MA having the highest healthcare insurance rates in the nation?

How is your healthcare "working for you" where mine isn't?

[Cephalopod]

Besides being way over budget and contributing to MA having the highest healthcare insurance rates in the nation?


Source for either of those claims? That's sort of my point. Our rates aren't the highest (unless you're looking at data that's 3 years old) and the budget is within projections. Our governor and state senate/reps are all cognizant of needing to put cost containment in place, and there are some pretty impressive plans for the next 1-2 years. The fact that we (MA) aren't bankrupt and are able to implement cost containment measures that other states can't even consider seems to be a real selling point for the long-term sustainability of the paradigm.

Single-payer would be nice, but I've been quite happy with how Romneycare is turning out.

[Parkbandit]

Source for either of those claims? That's sort of my point. Our rates aren't the highest (unless you're looking at data that's 3 years old) and the budget is within projections. Our governor and state senate/reps are all cognizant of needing to put cost containment in place, and there are some pretty impressive plans for the next 1-2 years. The fact that we (MA) aren't bankrupt and are able to implement cost containment measures that other states can't even consider seems to be a real selling point for the long-term sustainability of the paradigm.

Single-payer would be nice, but I've been quite happy with how Romneycare is turning out.

The "3 year old" data was what the politicians used to sell the MA public on the system. They simply increased those projections after the system was put in place.

But again... how is your system "working for you" where mine in Florida isn't?

[Warriorbird]

The "3 year old" data was what the politicians used to sell the MA public on the system. They simply increased those projections after the system was put in place.

But again... how is your system "working for you" where mine in Florida isn't?

Maybe he's not only concerned with himself.

[Atlanteax]

http://cagle.com/working/110512/beeler.jpg

[Parkbandit]

Maybe he's not only concerned with himself.

Do you think, when he posted "me", he made a typo and meant "we"?



Source for MA health-care law being a failure? Just, 'cause... you know. I live here, and it works for me.

[TheEschaton]

Because if Nachos was poor, he wouldn't have to pay for his health insurance in MA, whereas he would have no health insurance in FL? Still waiting on any source backing up ANY of the claims CRB/Rocktard/PB have made, because I've lived in MA too, and it seemed to be working there.

Here, I'll help you out: The one chart I can find shows MA with a budget shortfall of 5.7% for 2012, with only Indiana, Iowa, and NH (oh, and the District of Columbia) having lower projected shortfalls. Care to explain that one?

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711

-TheE-

[crb]

It was a news broadcast I remember, saying it went over budget by a couple billion dollars more than projected. Not that MA can't afford it, or whatever, but that it went way over projections.

Also that many people still refused to get insurance, even with the "penalties" and that others gamed the system.


Quickly Googling I did find this:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mitt-romney-defends-massachusetts-health-care-criticizes-obamacare/story?id=13590602



Bankruptcy filings due to medical costs have also jumped, increasing by more than one-third between 2007 and 2009, according to an analysis published in The American Journal of Medicine in March.

Rising costs continue to pose a challenge for the state. A survey published by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Foundation in April said per capita health care spending in Massachusetts is projected nearly to double by 2020.

Romney's claim that the law helped insure nearly half a million residents, though, is true.

The law's biggest effect is the number of people in the state who are now insured. More than 98 percent of Massachusetts' residents now have insurance, including 99.8 percent of all children, making Massachusetts' rate of uninsured the lowest in the United States. About 94 percent of state residents were insured before the law took effect in 2006.



From 94% to 98%.

MA is a much wealthier state than the rest of the country as a whole. Though I was surprised to read they didn't raise taxes to pay for this (unlike Obama care).

[Parkbandit]

Because if Nachos was poor, he wouldn't have to pay for his health insurance in MA, whereas he would have no health insurance in FL? Still waiting on any source backing up ANY of the claims CRB/Rocktard/PB have made, because I've lived in MA too, and it seemed to be working there.

Here, I'll help you out: The one chart I can find shows MA with a budget shortfall of 5.7% for 2012, with only Indiana, Iowa, and NH (oh, and the District of Columbia) having lower projected shortfalls. Care to explain that one?

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711

-TheE-

Unlike you, most people live in the real world. You know the one.. where if you are being robbed, you either fight or flight? I don't play the "what if I wuz poor" scenarios. Nacho said that Romneycare was working well for him. I asked him a simple question.. how is it different than what I am experiencing in Florida.

Stop being a tool in every political post.

And which claim did I make that you can't find anything on? That Romneycare was way over the initial projections? Do you really need me to find that for you?

A simple google search produced this within .21 seconds of searching:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/17/pay_for_care_a_new_way_state_is_urged/

[TheEschaton]

Unlike you, most people live in the real world. You know the one.. where if you are being robbed, you either fight or flight? I don't play the "what if I wuz poor" scenarios. Nacho said that Romneycare was working well for him. I asked him a simple question.. how is it different than what I am experiencing in Florida.

Stop being a tool in every political post.

And which claim did I make that you can't find anything on? That Romneycare was way over the initial projections? Do you really need me to find that for you?

A simple google search produced this within .21 seconds of searching:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/17/pay_for_care_a_new_way_state_is_urged/

I can't see that article in full. But from the two sentences in the sneak peak the Globe allows you, it seems to be saying private hospitals need to rework their budgets, a topic which isn't relevant? And that costs seem to be tied to how much doctors and administrators are paid, not the actual program. Did you literally just look at the title of the article and go "OMG THIS PROVES ME RIGHT!!!!"?

[TheEschaton]

P.S. Nachos doesn't have to worry about price hikes, doesn't need to worry about being excluded for pre-existing conditions, etc.

[waywardgs]

What's a mitt romney?

[Tgo01]

I just wish someone out there would introduce healthcare reform instead of this health insurance reform that everyone seems to think is the same thing.

[Parkbandit]

P.S. Nachos doesn't have to worry about price hikes, doesn't need to worry about being excluded for pre-existing conditions, etc.

I haven't had a price hike or had to worry about pre-existing conditions since Romneycare was passed. In fact, because I'm a smart consumer, my price actually decreased.

Again... it was a very simple question... one that you aren't qualified to answer.. unless you are Nachos.

[Parkbandit]

I can't see that article in full. But from the two sentences in the sneak peak the Globe allows you, it seems to be saying private hospitals need to rework their budgets, a topic which isn't relevant? And that costs seem to be tied to how much doctors and administrators are paid, not the actual program. Did you literally just look at the title of the article and go "OMG THIS PROVES ME RIGHT!!!!"?

Did you literally just look at the first two sentences and go "OMG THIS PROVES ME RIGHT!!!!!"?

You are on a roll the last couple of days...

[Keller]

Did you literally just look at the first two sentences and go "OMG THIS PROVES ME RIGHT!!!!!"?

You are on a roll the last couple of days...

http://imageshack.us/m/689/3305/lebronw.png

[~Rocktar~]

Because if Nachos was poor, he wouldn't have to pay for his health insurance in MA, whereas he would have no health insurance in FL? Still waiting on any source backing up ANY of the claims CRB/Rocktard/PB have made, because I've lived in MA too, and it seemed to be working there.

Here, I'll help you out: The one chart I can find shows MA with a budget shortfall of 5.7% for 2012, with only Indiana, Iowa, and NH (oh, and the District of Columbia) having lower projected shortfalls. Care to explain that one?

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711

-TheE-


http://dailycaller.com/2010/01/10/massachusetts-health-program-a-model-for-obamas-national-reform-strains-state-budget/


These folks seem to think that the costs are expanding faster than manageable. In addition, like Tenncare, they also cut back coverage in order to reduce costs and attempt to prevent bankruptcy of the state. Let's see, growing deficits, rising health care costs, cutting coverage and continued economic malaise, yep, sounds like a clear success to me.

[Seizer]

Source for MA health-care law being a failure? Just, 'cause... you know. I live here, and it works for me.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1199225389&play=1
Starts at two minutes and twenty seconds.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2009/07/mass_treasurer_rips_mandated_h.html

http://www.wbur.org/2011/05/09/doctors-survey

[kookiegod]

My attorney is on the boards of I don't know how many major MA companies and in the inner circle of Mass politics.

Some of the things he shared on the MA health law...

Hugely bankrupt.

That the current Gov had to beg Obama to put a little known provision in ObamaCare to help fund it (over 500b).

Cost containment hasn't happened and in fact, its gotten worse.

Its 'working' for sure if your not paying for it, but Romney should divorce himself from it faster than the Govenator from Maria Shriver.

~Paul